Cover for circulating fireplace registers

ABSTRACT

A cover for a small register on a circulating fireplace so to prevent thermal losses when a home is heated in winter or air conditioned during a summer, the device consisting of a plate which can be variously supported over the small register so to make an air tight seal, such as by use of magnets for attachment and the use of a gasket around its edge to prevent air leak.

United States Patent lckes COVER FOR CIRCULATING FIREPLACE REGISTERS John C. Ickes, c/o George Spector. 3615 Woolworth Bldg, 233 Broadway. New York, NY. 10007 Filed: Sept. 4, 1973 Appl. No.: 394,142

Inventor:

US. Cl. 126/140; 49/478; 126/202 Int. Cl. F241) 1/18 Field of Search 126/138, 202. 140; 220/55 MG; 49/478 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1895 Fitch 126/202 1 July 15, 1975 2.471.635 5/1949 Mark et a1 220/55 MG 2.761.717 9/1956 Mahlke 220/55 MG 2.959.832 11/1960 Baermann 4 i i 1 49/478 X 3.111.728 11/1963 Alderfer 49/478 3.465.536 9/1969 Vogel et al. .4 49/478 X Primary Examiner-Edward G. Favors 57] ABSTRACT 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures COVER FOR CIRCULATING FIREPLACE REGISTERS This invention relates generally to fireplace accessories.

It is well known that most residential circulating fire places are built on an exterior of a home. The outer side of the fireplace, when not in use by a fire in the fireplace pit, cools in winter and warms in a summer due to seasonal temperatures. In the winter time the chimney thus can radiate, in northern parts of the United States, temperatures often between 40 above to 20 below zero which is far below that of a desired temperature to be maintained inside the house. Such temperatures often seap into the house through the small register of a fireplace, and which accordingly is objectionable.

Therefore it is a principle object of the present invention to provide a cover for the small register so to overcome the above situation.

Another object is to provide a cover which accordingly will keep out the effect of heat and humidity in a summertime.

Still another object is to provide a cover for a circulating fireplace register that can be ornamental in ap pearance on its outer side so to enhance the room decor.

Yet another object is to provide a cover for a circulating fireplace register that can be quickly and easily removed and replace whenever desired.

Other objects are to provide a cover for a circulating fireplace register which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail thereof in perspective.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified design of the invention in which instead of the sealing gasket and magnet of FIGS. 1 and 2, there is continuous row of vacuum cups along the edges, each vacuum cup having a magnet in its apex which is rearwardly urged by a magnet in a pivotable frame so to increase the vacuum pressure in the cup for an improved holding force.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross section thereof.

FIG. 6 is a modified design of the register cover.

Refering now to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3 at this time, the reference numeral 10 represents a cover for a circulating fireplace register according to the present invention wherein there is a flat plate 11 which upon its rear side has a series of permanent magnets 12 rigidly secured thereto for magnetically holding the plate around the register opening ofa fireplace. A gasket 13 is secured to the peripheral area of the rear side so to form an air tight seal, the gasket being slightly thicker than the magnets so to allow the gasket to compress slightly for better sealing while the magnetic contact the supporting surface.

In operative use, it is evident that the cover can be quickly and easily removed and replaced when needed.

The front side 14 of the plate can be attractively decorated for pleasing appearance.

In FIGS. 4 and 5, a modified design of the invention shows a register cover 15 including a novel gasket 16 which is molded into a continous row of vacuum cups 17, each cup having a permanent magnet 18 imbedded within the end thereof. After the cover is pressed against the fireplace register area, a series of pivotable panels 19 are pivoted about hinges 20 so to bring a series of projecting magnets 21 along the panel 19 into openings 22 through the cover 15 so the magnets can attract the magnets 17 thus urging the magnets 17 into the direction 23 shown in FIG. 5 whereby the cavity 24 is enlarged, thus decreasing the air pressure in the cavity for a further greater holding action. To remove the cover, the panels 19 are first pivoted away from the cover 15.

In FIG. 6 a further modified design of register cover 25 incorporates the use of magnetic tape 26 which provides both magnetic holding action as well as serving as a gasket.

Thus modified design of the invention has been provided.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction it is understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A cover for resiliently sealing a fireplace register made of magnetically permeable material, said cover comprising a magnetically permeable plate with a magnetic sealing material mounted at the inside face of said plate, said material comprising magnets formed of homogeneous relatively non-compressible metal and resiliently compressible material, said magnets being positioned further from the register than the compressible material so as to make physical contact with the register after the compressib material makes contact with the register and is compressed into sealing contact.

2. A cover as in claim 1 wherein the material comprises a resilient gasket mounted on the periphery of the inside cover face and a magnet of smaller thickness than the gasket whereby the gasket will first sealingly compress before the magnet can contact the register.

3. A cover as in claim 2 wherein the gasket is in the form of a plurality of suction cups with magnets mounted within the cups.

4. A cover as in claim 3 including means for increasing the air pressure differential action on the suction cup.

* i II 

1. A cover for resiliently sealing a fireplace register made of magnetically permeable material, said cover comprising a magnetically permeable plate with a magnetic sealing material mounted at the inside face of said plate, said material comprising magnets formed of homogeneous relatively noncompressible metal and resiliently compressible material, said magnets being positioned further from the register than the compressible material so as to make physicla contact with the register after the compressible material makes contact with the register and is compressed into sealing contact.
 2. A cover as in claim 1 wherein the material comprises a resilient gasket mounted on the periphery of the inside cover face and a magnet of smaller thickness than the gasket whereby the gasket will first sealingly compress before the magnet can contact the register.
 3. A cover as in claim 2 wherein the gasket is in the form of a plurality of suction cups with magnets mounted within the cups.
 4. A cover as in claim 3 including means for increasing the air pressure differential action on the suction cup. 